UNC Down Syndrome Program
At the UNC Down Syndrome Program our interdisciplinary team of specialists work together to optimize the health and wellbeing of people with Down syndrome in North Carolina. We are one of only a handful of Down syndrome clinics in the country to serve patients throughout their whole lifespan, from prenatal visits through adult care.
Our goals include:
- Making it easy for people with Down syndrome to access healthcare that is tailored to them
- Providing care coordination across specialties
- Connecting patients and families to community resources
- Offering innovative clinical trials
Services Offered
- Comprehensive medical exam
- Coordinated care with subspecialists
- Hearing screening by audiology
- Photo vision screening
- Evaluations by physical, occupational, and speech therapists
- Nutritional support by a registered dietitian
- Laboratory blood tests
- Imaging studies
- Developmental and psychological assessments
- Connection to community resources and services
Our nurse coordinator and family navigator with lived experience together with our team will support families through linkage to community resources, enrollment in Medicaid waivers, navigating school/IEP support, transition to adulthood, and more.
We are a consultative clinic that will work closely with your PCP and other specialists.
How the UNC Down Syndrome Program Began
Dr. Kate Westmoreland, the clinic’s founder and medical director, is a pediatrician and mother of a daughter with Down syndrome. Parenting her daughter sparked her desire to start a clinic that would offer specialized care- all in one place.
Why Choose the UNC Down Syndrome Program?
Our Interdisciplinary Team
Our team is comprised of some of the nation’s top leaders in Down syndrome care and research. We will work closely with each patient’s primary care provider to provide comprehensive, specialized, and compassionate care.
Dr. Kate Westmoreland, our medical director, is a pediatrician and will see children and adolescents. Dr. Westmoreland is also leading our UNC Down Syndrome Regression Disorder (DSRD) Program.
Dr. Julie Monaco, a family medicine provider, will see adult patients. This clinic will open in 2026.
Ali Sommerstad our dedicated nurse coordinator, is a liaison between families and all of the providers involved in the patient's care. She will help prepare for appointments and also assist with follow up care.
Our team is committed to providing exceptional care for your child and your family.
Current Down Syndrome Clinics
- Pediatric Interdisciplinary Down Syndrome clinic, led by Dr. Kate Westmoreland, MD is currently seeing both new and return patients aged birth to 13 years of age.
- Down Syndrome Neurobehavioral Clinic led by Natalie Krohl, NP and our psychology team, Drs. Rebecca Grzadzinski, PhD, Heather Hazlett, PhD, and Chandler Knott, PhD, is seeing both new and return patients. This clinic is only accepting internal referrals from the UNC Down Syndrome Clinic.
- Down Syndrome Regression Disorder program (DSRD) Program, led by Dr. Kate Westmoreland, MD and Natalie Krohl, NP is seeing both new and return patients. This is a collaboration with neurology, immunology, and psychology.
- Down Syndrome Obstructive Sleep Apnea clinic, led by Dr. Katelyn Bricker, MD, and Dr. Kate Westmoreland, MD is opening in early 2026 and already scheduling new patients.
- Adolescent Down Syndrome Clinic is opening in 2026.
- Adult Down Syndrome Clinic, led by Dr. Julie Monaco, MD, is opening in 2026. This program does not yet have an interdisciplinary team, but we are working to build this with time.
- Down Syndrome Pre-Natal Clinic, led by Dr. Kate Westmoreland, MD, will be opening for virtual visits in 2026.
Preparing for Your Down Syndrome Clinic Visit
Required intake form:
Please complete our required Down Syndrome Clinic Questionnaire two weeks prior to your virtual pre-clinic visit. This questionnaire is available on My UNC Chart. This intake form helps us to get to know your child ahead of time and prepare for your visit.
Required Virtual Pre-Clinic Visit:
All new patients are now required to complete a virtual pre-clinic visit with Dr. Kate Westmoreland two to four weeks prior to their multidisciplinary in-person appointment. These visits will be conducted through My UNC Chart. These visits allow Dr. Westmoreland to get to know your child ahead of time, prepare for your upcoming clinic day, and ensure a more personalized and efficient experience.
Your in-person visit:
During your multidisciplinary clinic you will see Our team: Dr. Westmoreland (pediatrician), Nurse Coordinator, Physical Therapy (PT), Occupational Therapy (OT), Speech Therapy, Dietitian, Social Worker, Audiology (coming soon to our new DBL location), and our Family Navigator.
This appointment can take up to three or four hours, so please bring food, snacks and your child’s favorite books, games and toys. We do have a small kids’ table with chairs in all clinic rooms.
Our feeding therapist would like to watch your child eat. We have a highchair in the clinic, but please bring the foods your child usually eats at home. If your child is an infant, let the nurse assistant know at check-in when they are due for their next feeding, so we can try to schedule the therapist at that time.
We have created a social story to help prepare your child for clinic. We recommend you read this with your child prior to their clinic visit.
Write your questions down in advance that you have for the team. We are here to support you!
Send us your Child’s IEP:
If you have a school-age child, please send us their IEP (individualized education plan) on My UNC Chart. It can also be faxed (984-364-3890) or you can bring it to clinic.
How much will it cost:
Our Down Syndrome Clinic Financial Navigator team can provide a personalized cost estimate based on your private insurance and deductibles. Estimates are prepared about 30 days before your visit and will be available in My UNC Chart. If you haven’t received one or have questions, please call us at 984-215-5557. If you have Medicaid, you will not receive an estimate. If you need help paying your bill at UNC Hospitals, you may qualify for UNC Financial Assistance Program, please call: 984-974-3425.
Communication with our team
The best way to communicate with our Down syndrome team is through My UNC Chart. Please make sure you are registered and keep an eye out for any messages from us! Our clinic phone number is 984-215-5557, but it will often go to voicemail, and you can expect a return call within seven business days.
We are a consultative clinic. Our goal is to work closely with your primary care provider and other specialists to assist in coordinating care. We do not have an on-call team, so we are not available on nights or weekends. If you have an urgent need, please call your primary care provider or seek assistance at urgent care or the emergency department. If you have a need arise that a specialist (Peds Cardiology, Peds Neurology, Peds ENT, Peds Surgery, etc.) follows your child for, you can send them a message on My UNC Chart or call the UNC Hospital operator (984-974-1000) and ask for that specialty on call.
Clinic Location
UNCH Development, Behavior and Learning (DBL) Clinic
1828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
DBL Clinic – Directions
When you arrive at 1828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, you will need to turn on Perkins Dr. and into the shopping center parking lot where our clinic is located. We are across the parking lot from the gas station in between Holeman Family Dentistry and Rasa Indian Restaurant
Parking
Once you arrive at our clinic location, parking is available directly in front of our clinic. There is no charge for parking.
UNC Down Syndrome Clinic Team (Jan 2026) at our new Development Behavior and Learning Clinic location off MLK in Chapel Hill, NC.
A Leader in Research
Research is needed to help improve the lives of people with Down syndrome. UNC is a leader in Down syndrome research. UNC investigators are recipients of NIH INCLUDE (INvestigation of Co-occurring conditions across the Lifespan to Understand Down syndromE) Project funding. The Down syndrome program is working with the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) to support current projects and bring new innovative research and clinical trials to NC. This will give our patients access to groundbreaking treatments.
Click here to learn more and see our and see our Current Research Studies open at UNC for individuals with Down Syndrome:
